Circle of Friends
by Carmen Wayne
Summary: *COMPLETE* Hee, not as good as I wanted it, but it's complete! -- Three YJers get to know each other in a way NO ONE expected (not in a kinky way either, not angsty--not yet). Part one! Heh...
1. The Problem

Author's Note:  If it weren't for the renowned Zelda, I would have never gotten how to do this…  We RPed this, like we RP many things for me, into perfection!  This isn't exactly how the RP went—but yet it is!  Eh, nevermind…

Legalities:  We ALL know this part.

Rating:  PG-13 for words and actions to which should not be seen by 12 and under.

Summary:  What if… what IF, accidentally, three YJ members came to understand each other… but in the last way anyone expected?

Circle of Friends

Part One:  The Problem

By:  Carmen Wayne

          A door slowly creaked open.  Two small, male voices could be heard as a green light was shot into the huge room, illuminating it.

          "Christ, what happened here?"

          "The name is Green Lantern, and I don't know…"

          Green Lantern walked into the room where everything was in disarray.  Behind him, clad in his red, was the Flash.  Green Lantern walked towards the middle of the room, directing his ring to create circles of green fire that would light both his and Flash's path.

          "An explosion.  Look, it's like a damage-crater."

          Flash walked over and looked at the perfect circle of scorched ground, furniture and such strewn around it in a perfect circle as well.  He turned around and looked at the door.

          "Would you explain what happened again, kiddo?"

          A pretty blonde teenager peeked around the corner.  She wore a white midriff and brown shorts.  Many would recognize her as a gold medallist in the summer Olympics at Sydney.  That's what they thought, until she informed them otherwise.

~~~~~~~~~~

          "Wow, Cisse King-Jones?!" Green Lantern exclaimed when they first got to the hotel/YJ headquarters.

          "How do YOU know Young Justice?" Flash asked.

          "Because…" she said slowly, like a patient teacher with a slow student.  "I was also Arrowette."

          The men exchanged looks, and then Green Lantern looked back to her.

          "Sweet."

~~~~~~~~~~

          "Is it safe to go in there…" she asked, mindlessly scratching her skin under an archer-guard on her left arm.

          "Yeah, don't worry," Green Lantern said with a nod.

          Cissie walked in and headed over to them quickly, just in case.  Flash watched her and rubbed his arm.

          "You're really scared, aren't you?"

          "You would be too if you knew what happened like I do!  Okay, basically, it all started when Superboy came with this BALL that Cadmus had wanted him to pick up…  He brought it here for Robin to look at, who had been talking with me and Cassie—er, Wonder Girl, when I had gotten up to go to the, er, restroom…  The three of them started to investigate the ball…"

*#*#*#*

          "It's platinum."

          Robin nodded as he turned it over in his hands, standing in the center of the room.  Wonder Girl, in her newer, more fashionable attire, laid back on the couch as Cissie got up, groaning a little because she knew what this meant—another description from Robin and full detective analysis.

          "I'll be back, guys."

          She started out; meanwhile, Superboy lifted the red lenses of his glasses up and slowly took off his dark blue and red jacket.

          "But what's it do, Rob?" he asked.

          "I don't KNOW yet, Kon," he said, slightly annoyed.  He turned the orb in his hands some more.  "Diameter looks about seven.  Radius three and a half.  And—"

          "Why don't we just stick it in the courtyard?" Wonder Girl asked, coming up in front of them.  She snagged the orb and bounced it from one hand to the other.  "Look!  It looks like one of those funky glass metallic balls you can buy for your gardens!  Cool much?"

          "STOP that!" Robin said, grabbing it.  "It COULD be an explosive!  Kon, why did Doc Serling send you again?"

          "'cause Mickey said I hadda…"

          "Mickey Mouse?" Wonder Girl mocked.

          "And did Mickey give a reason?" Robin asked.

          "Yeah… 'cause Guardian didn't wanna do it.  Something about Roy and Lian…"

          "Harper?" Robin asked.

          "Yeah."

          "Lian's a cute kid."

          "She is!"

          "Anyway, I can't even tell the make of this," Robin said, tone as professional as always.  "But look, it looks like someone sanded off some sort of writing…"

          Wonder Girl turned his hands to look at where he was pointing.

          "Well… can you… erm… fix it?" she asked.

          "Carefully, yeah.  Acid could raise the writing…"

          Kon set his hand on the bottom of it to tilt it enough to look at the same thing.

          "Well, damn!  Heh, that sucks—OWOWOWOW!"

          He felt a searing pain shoot up his arm and he tried to pull his hand away, but it was as if it was magnetized onto the orb.  Just as he thought he was the only one experiencing the pain, a look at his colleagues told him otherwise.  Wonder Girl was whimpering and put her foot against Robin's chest, trying to pull away.  Robin was gritting his teeth, muttering severe cuss words under his breath.  The ball then began to glow.

          "Hey guys!" Cissie said as she began to reenter the room.  "Bart just found these COOL—"

*#*#*#*

          Cissie rubbed her arm, coughing faintly.  She looked to the two adult superheroes, more so Green Lantern than Flash.

          "I was blown clear out of the room, and the doors shut.  For about an hour the door was so hot, Impulse was afraid to vibrate through it.  When it finally cooled, it was about five minutes before you showed up.  We got the door open… but there was no Robin, no Wondy, and no SB.  ALL gone…"

          Green Lantern nodded faintly.

          "But why did you call the JLA, Cissie?" he asked.

          "Well… because… we… can't find them… and considering… ya know… Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are in the JLA…  and it's midnight, it's scary…"

          "I see.  Well… Flash?"

          Flash smirked a little.

          "Hang on."

          He shot away from the two, out the doors and went on a super-speed search at a pace that would wear out Impulse.  In 1.5 seconds, he was in the final place to search—the ballroom.

          He skid to a stop, seeing a crouched figure, in the dark, just barely covered by moonlight, on the chandelier.  He couldn't make the figure out, but was almost certain it was one of the kids.  The chandelier's crystals jingled together as the figure shifted.

          "The orb did something horrible, Flash…"

          Flash recognized the voice, but was surprised at the approach.

          "Superboy…?" he asked.

          The figure slid from the chandelier and dropped down in front of him silently.

          "Flash, look at this thing…"  He brought the silver orb into view from where he had been clutching it closely.  But it was no longer solid silver, it had strips of gold running through it.  "We've got to figure out how it did this…"

          "Did… what?" Flash asked.

          Superboy slowly pointed to a door across the way.

          "Look in there… you'll get your answer…"

          Flash nodded, unsure, and zipped over to the door.  He was honestly expecting the worst as he reached for the doorknob.  Pulling it open with a fast yank, his eyes grew wide.  Wonder Girl and Robin, all over each other, in a closet.

          "Ewww!!" he yelled, grossed out.  "Holy—a Boy Wonder swapping spit?!"

          Robin had a hold of Wonder Girl's lip with his teeth as he let out a partial smile.

          "Nnnn…  Hi?"

          Wonder Girl pulled her lip free and smiled wickedly as she wrapped her arms around Robin's neck.

          "Hey, hottie, wanna join?  I got first dibs on getting backdoored by YOU."

          Flash slammed the door shut, scared out of his mind.

          "What. The. Hell?"

          He pulled it open again and grabbed the two, pulling them out of the closet.

          "Kon, will you light up everything?"

          "I… can't, Flash," Superboy replied.

          "LET me GO," Robin sneered.  His hands lit up in blue to illuminate everything.  "And *I* CAN."

          Flash was surprised at that, honestly, and was about to say something until he felt a hand slide onto his stomach.  Eyes wider than before, he looked at Wonder Girl.

          "Mmm, you free, like, right now?  I've got winkie wraps," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

          "NO!"  He pulled her away and then began to yank the two for the door.  "LANTERN!!!!"

          In a flash of green light, Green Lantern jetted around to where he was exiting the ballroom.  Flash flung Wonder Girl into him.

          "Oof!"

          "TAKE her to Diana!  Now!"

          "Why?"

          He was soon answered when Wonder Girl moved really close to him, grinning madly—almost reminiscent of Superboy.

          "Green Lantern, huh?  So… what exactly CAN you do with that ring?"

          "Uhm…"

          "Flash!" Superboy called, gliding out to the group with the orb still in his hands.  "Splitting us up might be the worst thing you can do," he explained professionally.  He held up the ball.  "THIS is at fault for the whole ordeal right here, and we were together when it happened.  I recommend that perhaps you should leave us here and go to collect Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman while we try to figure out how to reverse this."

          The two older men gawked at him.

          "What?" he asked.

          "Kon—is that really YOU talking?" Green Lantern asked.

          "Yeah, I know, it's… strange… but… I just… don't feel the same…"  Superboy dazed momentarily in thought, and then shook his head clear.  "Why don't we do that?"

          "Not a bad idea, but we won't have to even leave," Flash explained.  He looked at Robin.  "Can you contact Oracle to contact those three for us?"

          "Can I cry afterwards?" Robin replied.

          "… Sure."

          "'kay…"

****

          Barbara Gordon grinning madly as Richard Grayson pranced over, hands fluttering like wings at his side.  He leaned extra close and lifted his shirt from his stomach.

          "Feel THAT!"

          Barbara grinned and touched the finely defined abdominal muscles on his stomach.

          "That's very nice… but why am I feeling your abs?" she asked.

          "SEE?!"  He pointed to two spots on his stomach with his left index and middle fingers.  "Eight of them!  Eight pack!  Not just a six pack anymore!"

          Barbara grinned.

          "Keep THIS up, and your muscles are going to have muscles, Grayson…"  She heard her computer bleep several times.  "Whoop, that's Robin…"

          She started that way quickly.  Meanwhile, Dick adjusted his shirt and grinned madly.

          "Naw, muscles with muscles are strictly a Batman-Superman thing."

          "Heh…"  She slid on her headpiece and opened the line.  "Oracle here, Robin.  What's up?"

          _"Uhhhh, yeah, I need to place an order, Oracle."_

          Barbara quirked an eyebrow, smirking faintly as she felt Dick put his ear against the other side of her headphone.

          "Alright, what kind of order, Boy Wonder?"

          _"I need one Batman, one Superman and one Wonder Woman delivered to the Young Justice temporary headquarters."_

          "Temporary my arse," Dick muttered.

          "Shh."

          _"What was that?"_

          "Uh, nothing.  Anyway, can I ask as why?  When?"

          _"'cause it's an EMERGENCY, d-uh, and ASAP.  Oh… psst… and did you know Wonder Girl is a GREAT kisser?"_

          A slap came from the other end, and the two adults exchanged looks.  Barbara coughed and nodded.

          "Sure, alright, no problem… but… uhm… Robin?"

          _"ALL I EVER DO IS--*sniffle*--yes Oracle?"_

          "Is… everything alright, hon?"

          _"Yeah… ju-just… just peachy… I… I gotta go… thanks Oracle…"_

          The connection cut off.  Barbara blinked and looked at Dick.

          "That… was beyond weird."

          "You… think I should head on over there?"

          "Yeah… but make sure you strut that stuff, baby."

          Dick grinned and took her by the chin, kissing her very lightly on the lips.  Wishing her a soft "Goodbye" he started away, making sure to strut all that he could strut.  Barbara fanned herself a bit, watching that, and then turned to start making the calls she needed to.

****

          Robin had locked himself away in a bathroom.  While the group had waited—now joined by Empress—they took turns trying to coerce him out.  Cissie was up to bat this time.

          "That suit does NOT make you look fat!" she insisted.

          "Go away!" Robin yelled, throwing something at the door.

          Cissie was tempted to break down the door, but then remembered it might not be wise.  So instead, she continued to talk.

          "What if I asked for a kiss?  Would you come out then…?"

          "… maybe…?"

          Meanwhile, Superboy sat at a table, trying to figure out the mystery of the orb with the others.

          "Well, this is what I've gathered…" he said calmly.  "It some how switched parts of us with each other.  I've gotten Robin's personality, Cassie has mine, and Robin has Cassie's…"

          "I NEVER act like that!" Wonder Girl said, jutting a finger at the bathroom door.

          "Not so much so, you're right," Superboy agreed.  "But he's gotten your female sensitivity to things, and a form of PMS, probably.  That, on top of the fact that he's never experienced FEMALE emotions, which can… be rather… extreme at times… it's probably an overload to him.  Now, as far as POWERS go, I don't have my TTK, but I can still fly, and I feel like I have more skill.  That means, I assume, I've gotten Cassie's Amazon gifts…"

          "Whoo," Flash said with a grin.  "How's Diana gonna handle that one?"

          "Not just DIANA," Green Lantern said.  "Artemis too!"

          "Oh gawd, Artemis especially!"

          Superboy stared at them, then inhaled deeply.

          "Right.  Anyway, it's obvious what Cassie got…"

          He gestured to Cassie, who had gone into a handstand on the arms of her chair, and was giggling madly.

          "Wouldn't this be a GREAT position for some SERIOUS fu—"

          Empress covered her mouth and put a finger up to her own.

          "Shhh, Cassie!  We're only rated PG-13!"

          Wonder Girl blinked at that, looking around.

          "Don't they say the 'F' word in PG-13 movies?"

          "Only in special Jim Carrey movies, mon."

          "WOW!  He's said—"

          "Actually, I don't think he has, except in Me, Myself and Irene, but that was an R, but I do think Kristi Alley did," Green Lantern pointed out.

          Flash looked at him.

          "When?"

          "In that one movie with Tim Allen and the Amish people…"

          "DID she?"

          "I think so!"

          Superboy groaned and looked at Cissie, who was crossing the room to join them.

          "Any luck?" he asked, exasperated.

          "None."  She sat by him and shook her head.  "He's insisting he's getting cramps."

          "Better than the CLAP, if I do say so myself!" Wonder Girl said, flipping onto the table.  "Oh!  Who likes Perry Farrell?!"  Flash waved his hand, as did Empress.  "I have his CD!  Wanna have a—"

          "Did someone CALL us?" came a strong, authoritative voice from the main doors.

          Wonder Girl eeped and jumped back.  The group turned to the door, to see Superman standing there, flanked by Batman on his left and Wonder Woman to his right.  Superboy stood and walked over for them, still holding the orb.

          "Yeah, and we have a problem…"

          "And what would that be, precisely, Kon-El?" Superman asked.

          "Well—"

          "OH MY GOD!" Robin screamed from 'his bathroom'.  "SPIDER!!!!"

          That was followed by multiple crashes and slams.  Superboy smiled faintly.

          "I think you better sit down for this one, guys…"

To Be Continued…


	2. More the Problem, Less the Solution

Author's Note:  I got a wonderful response to this, so here's part two!  The ending is leading into something a friend (Batgirl!) wants to see done…

Legalities:  We know it already!

Rating:  PG-13

Circle of Friends

Part Two:  More the Problem, Less the Solution

By:  Carmen Wayne

            **12:55 AM** flashed in green in Batman's view, within the lenses of his cowl.  He was both annoyed and unnerved by everything Superboy had told them, with amazing clarity and the utmost respect.  Something Superboy was not KNOWN for.  He had better things to do.  Robin didn't want to see HIM.  Especially not in this state… as the Boy Wonder duly pointed out when he was informed the Dark Knight was there.

            "Is he near the door?!" Robin screamed from the bathroom, panicked.

            "He hasn't even been fully inside the ROOM since he GOT here," Empress explained.  "Why don't you come out, Robin?"

            "Be…Because… I wanna cry…"

            Empress looked at Cissie.  Cissie moved up to the door.

            "Robin?"

            "…"

            "Robin, are you there?"

            "Mmmhmm…"

            It came from against the door, down by her knees.  She knelt down by the sound.

            "Robin, it's Cissie."

            "I KNOW."

            "Why don't you come out of there?"

            "I already TOLD you…"

            "You mean to tell me you're scared of BATMAN?"

            "I am NOT scared—"

            "That's what it seems like to me, you know.  Now, I refuse to believe that just because you're taking on more than your fair share of the 'female experience' that you're any the less smart or brave.  And ya know… Kon's showing you UP out here…"  She looked across the room.  "Talkin' with Wonder Woman and Superman and Green Lantern and Flash like he's all you and not all HIM…"

            Meanwhile…

            "Look at this," Superboy said, tracing his fingers along the lines of the orb.  "It was solid platinum, no lines in it before, right?  But after the blast, these lines of… gold, I think, appeared."

            Wonder Woman gently pulled it from his hands and turned it over to observe everything.  She narrowed her eyes, studying the faint inscriptions on the orb.

            "These are ancient Ro—"

            She stopped dead, watching Wonder Girl, who had slid in between Superboy and Superman on the couch and smiled casually.

            "Continue!"

            Wonder Woman stared at her young counter part in a silence that would in any other circumstance be considered uneasy.  But instead it just consisted of a mono-stare from the Amazon Princess and a cute, innocent smile from Wonder Girl.

            "Well…  As I was saying, this is ancient Roman."

            "You can read ancient Roman too?" Superboy asked.  After a nod, he asked, "What's it say, Wonder Woman?"

            "_Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres_," she said in fluent timing.  Looking up, she saw the curious faces.  "That means 'All of Gaul is divided into three parts'.  Latin."

            "I thought you said it was ROMAN," snooted Wonder Girl.

            Superboy looked at her with that 'You idiot' look that Robin gave him frequently, once upon a time.

            "They're the SAME THING."

            "No they're not…"

            "POINT IS," Wonder Woman said loudly before a fight could ensue, "Is that I have no idea what it means."

            "Oh, that helps," Wonder Girl groaned.

            Superboy nudged her impatiently.  She whimpered and held her side.  Cissie then called over:

            "Kon?!  HELP?!"

            Superboy sighed and stood up, looking at the four JLA members.

            "Would you excuse me a mom—"  He whirled to Wonder Girl the moment her hand touched his rear.  "STOP ACTING LIKE YOU'RE A WHORE!" he yelled.  "My God!  You're only fourteen!  You have PLENTY of time before you need to start all that!"

            He stormed away.  Wonder Girl blinked, and then giggled madly.

            "Oh, he so wants me."

            Superman and Wonder Woman exchanged glances, while Flash hid his face behind his hand to snicker in silence.  Green Lantern held a solid face, despite that he wanted to bust into laughter as well.  Batman, still, remained at the entrance, unmoving.  Superboy walked to the door of the bathroom, between Empress and Cissie.

            "Robin?"

            "What?!"

            "It's Superboy…"

            "I want a bunny…"

            "Listen, you can HAVE a bunny if you just come out of there.  We need to try something, and we need you, Gaul number one…"

            "Are you calling me a gall bladder?!"

            Superboy looked at the girls.

            "Jeez, he's sensitive."

            "I HEARD that!"

            Something else hit the door.  Superboy cringed, and then leaned closer to them, whispering so Robin wouldn't hear them.

            "Okay, here's the thing you guys…  I want to try to recreate the happenings out here, right?  But we can't DO that without Robin out here.  Now, if we can't get Robin out, I'm going to have to vote for plan B."

            "And… what's plan B?" Cissie asked.

            "Having the Big Three take our places in a reenactment.  Who better to than our elder selves, right?  Of course, Cissie, you'll have to remain the common denominator here."

            "Is it denominator?"

            "Whatever it is, you're that one organic piece that we'll want to keep the same in both plan A and B.  Now, can you two try to talk him out?"

            "We'll try, SB," Cissie said, nodding.

            Empress walked up to Superboy, stared at him a moment, and then slapped him across the face.  He covered his cheek, surprised as hell by that.

            "Why did you do that?!"

            "To see if you were a hallucination!"  She slapped him once more.  When he "ow"ed, she smirked.  "Guess not."

            Superboy growled.  To add to his agitation, Robin was laughing hysterically within the confines of his bathroom.

            "S-Boy got hiiiittttt!"

            Without commenting, he walked away for the five Leaguers.  Well, in between the seating area and the door, so he could speak to all five.

            "Okay, Ciss and Emp are going to try to talk Robin out, but—"

            "Augh!"  Wonder Girl stood on her feet.  "Never send them in to do a job."

            She leapt over the couch and headed over to the door, singing something about underwear and a wedgie and psychopathic killer clowns.  Superboy covered his face, took a long moment to just breath, then looked up once more.

            "Modified planning.  You have a choice.  Either we wait for Robin to come out, or we just reenact what happened with Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman."

            Superman looked at the bathroom, X-Raying in, checking before he would respond.  Robin was sitting in the fetal position in the bathtub of the bathroom, chucking objects at the door.  Objects, which he had pulled from the numerous cabinets, that filled the whole bathtub.  Beyond the naked human eye, he could see the walls faintly glowing blue.  To keep everyone out, Robin was using his newly instilled TTK to do the job for him.  Momentarily, Superman mused on how quickly each of them adjusted to their new abilities, but then shook his head clear and looked at Superboy.

            "He's not coming out any time soon.  Lets go with the second option."

**

            Batman was unenthusiastic as he took the place that Superboy ever so respectfully and quite frighteningly maturely directed him to.  Superman was in place, as was Wonder Woman.  Wonder Girl remained at the bathroom door, flirting with Robin through it.  He was close to coming out.  SO very close… and yet SO far…

            Empress led Green Lantern and Flash out of the room to stand just outside the room, while Cissie grabbed Wonder Girl by the back of her belt and yanked her across.

            "Hey!" Wonder Girl yelped.  "What's the big idea?!  Awww, is big butch Cissie lonely?  Well, ya didn't have to be so pushy, baby, I can go both ways!"

            "Cassie!!!!  Gross!" Cissie screamed.

            "WONDER GIRL!" Superboy yelled.  "BEHAVE!"  He looked at the three.  "Okay, you need me to repeat what I told you we… no, of course I don't," he said with a sheepish smile.  "Sorry."

            "It's quite alright," Superman said.  "I suggest you back away from this."

            Superboy pulled back at least ten feet, near Wonder Girl and Cissie, who waited BEHIND a couch for everything to begin.  Cissie leaned over to Superboy.

            "Do you think it's really wise to do this?"

            "What do you mean?" he asked softly, looking at her.

            "What happens if the same thing happens to them?"

            Wonder Girl giggled quietly at the thought.

            "Then it's gonna be MORE fun 'n' games!" she whispered excitedly.

            The two stared at her.

            Wonder Woman took the orb from Batman and tossed it from hand to hand as Superboy said Wonder Girl had done.  From one hand to the other and back again.  As it went for a trip back to the other hand for the second time, Batman caught it in mid-air and brought it closer.  (By this time Superboy, Cissie and Wonder Girl were musing how they could do it so seriously—and then had to remind themselves that this was THE three top superheroes in their world—maturity was their "thang".)  Wonder Woman placed her hand where Superboy told her Wonder Girl placed hers, and then Superman placed his hand where he was told Superboy placed his…

**

            "So, I heard you can, like, freeze things with your hands," Flash said casually to Empress.

            Humored, Empress shrugged.

            "I don't freeze things, mon, not like THAT.  I can just… make them… inanimate."

            Flash chuckled a bit.  Green Lantern smiled.

            "It seems to me like you're fitting in well here."

            "What makes you say that?"

            "Oh… teenager…  superhero…  a wise-guy.  That pretty much makes up the whole team!"

            "Oh, come on, Lantern!  Robin's not a wise-guy," she said.

            "You're right," Flash said.  "He's a wise-ASS."

            "And what, precisely, makes you say that?"

            "Well…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            An explosion in the background was almost deafening.  Flash and Robin stayed hidden behind a wall as parademons caused chaos in the streets.

            "What're we going to do?!" Robin exclaimed.  "We can't possibly fight through all of those demons!"

            "I dunno, you're the Boy Wonder, think of something!" Flash exclaimed.

            Robin looked at him.

            "YES, Flash," he sneered.  "YES I am!  Are you HAPPY, Flash?!  I admit it!  And I'd very much like to get my Wonder-Butt home ALIVE and not in a pine casket, because God knows you couldn't drive nails in anything heavier than that!  Now HELP me think of something!"

            "My GOD!  You're worse than Nightwing!"

            Robin was about to comment, when there was another deafening blow, and fire shot past the edge of the wall.  Flash shook his head and stretched his jaw.  Robin did the same, rubbing his ears, then looked at Flash and yelled:

            "LOOK!  I'm SORRY!  I just don't happen to be in a good mood right now since I've nearly died four times in the last thirty minutes!"

            Flash was *about* to respond, when a parademon head landed three feet from them.  Both males screamed and Flash responded on reflex by stealing and stabbing it with a batarang.  Robin took in a few deep breaths and looked at him.

            "What the hell was that for?!"

            "It… it blinked?" Flash asked sheepishly.

            "Yeah, I'll blink something…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            "And then he flipped me off…" Flash said, frowning.

            Empress giggled at that.

            "Oh, stop, that's not a wise-ass.  That's just how Robin IS.  If it's 'wise-ass' you want, ask him about Mighty Endowed sometime."

            "Well—"

            White flames shot through the doors to the room they stood outside and blasted the doors clear open.

            "HOLY--!" Green Lantern exclaimed, drawing up a shield of green to block them.

            "I guess it worked!" Flash yelled, shielding Empress with an arm.

            "It ALWAYS this exciting here, kid?!" Lantern asked Empress.

            "Yeah!  Only… we've got lollipops to make us happy!"

            The flames vanished, followed by red smoke.  Lantern dropped the shield and slowly rounded around to peek inside.  Empress coughed and followed him once Flash moved his arm.  Flash simply shot over in the blink of an eye to look in.  On the other end, Wonder Girl, Superboy and Cissie had emerged, looking at the three.  The JLAers stood there, shaking just a little and trying to regain their senses.  The three rushed in to them, Flash immediately and naturally going up next to Wonder Woman.

            "Are you okay…?" he asked.  "Diana?"

            "Yes, yes…"  She rubbed an eye and looked at him.  "I'm fine."

            Superboy damned softly.

            "That means it didn't work."

            "M'be they're just too ADULT.  M'be it only works on teens!" Wonder Girl suggested, kicking at flaming couch.

            "Maybe.  Wonder Woman?"

            "Yes, Kon-El?"

            "Do you still have your powers?"

            Wonder Woman rotated her shoulder, and then stomped the tile below her feet.  When it shattered, she looked up at him.

            "Super strength, and I cannot see if I just busted a pipe," she said.

            "Wonderful!" Wonder Girl said, throwing her hands up in the air.  "I am NOT paying for a repairman either!"

            "Shut up!" Cissie hissed.

            "Why don't you sit down…" Flash stated rather than asked, helping Wonder Woman to a chair Lantern constructed.

            "Thank you…"

            "Alright……" Superboy paused, watching his elder.  "Superman…?"  He noticed Superman was more ridged than usual, and he figured it was the blast that did it to him.  "Are you okay?"

            Superman didn't respond, he just spaced out, focusing on nothing.  Superboy frowned, and looked to see if the others had noticed it.  Concerned looks in eyes and faces told him they had.  He looked towards Batman, the others still following his gaze.

            "Batman, what about you?"

            No response, Batman just stared at him.

            "Batman, hellooooooooo-OOOOOOO?!" Wonder Girl asked, hopping around behind Superboy.

            Superboy turned and stuck his fingers in her mouth and grabbed her by the lower jaw securely.

            "STOP moving," he growled.  And then he looked to Batman once more.  "Batman… are you with us?"

            After a long moment, Batman coughed once, red smoke fluttering out in a puff.  Slowly, behind the white lenses of his cowl, his eyes traveled.  After he passed each face, he looked at Superboy.

            "… I feel perky."

To be continued… (Yet again!)


	3. Again?

Author's Notes:  Well… people want to know why Batman feels "perky", and therefore I shall deliver!  Wowie this story's getting a lot of response!  Thanks, everyone!  VERY much!

            BTW, I know this seems like there's a LOT of parts to this, but when you add up the pages to this point, there's only, like, twenty pages.  Part 4, things'll start wrapping up, promise!

Legalities:  Property of some omniscient beings somewhere in command of the DCU…  not this mere mortal.  Do not smite me!

Rating:  PG-13

Summary:  Why the hell does Batman feel perky?  And why isn't Superman talking?  Basically this is them trying to deal with this hopefully temporary little situational dilemma thingy.

Circle of Friends

Part 3:  Again?

            "Gattaca," Flash said with a decisive nod.

            "What?" Green Lantern asked, looking at him.

            "They say the "F" word in Gattaca.  That's a PG-13."

            "Oooh…  they make whoopee in that too."

            "Wasn't that mirror whoopee?"

            "No, it was window-to-the-ocean whoopee."

            "Oh."

            Superboy looked over at them, irritated.

            "Will you two just GROW UP?!" he yelled.  He turned back to Batman and Superman, taking the orb from where it had been placed on the floor.  "Batman, what do you mean by 'perky'?" he asked.

            He still couldn't comprehend that.  Superman had been refusing to talk, and Batman was so physically unreadable, no one knew what he had meant when he told them that he was feeling perky.  Oh, many things ran through their mind.  Some things were more perverse than others, but all they could do was try to fathom until the Dark Knight spoke up and explained what he had meant.

            "I mean that—"

            He stopped and turned as the bathroom door opened and Robin, the Boy Wonder, peeked out.  He wore a childish grin and began to giggle insanely.  Blue light lined his body faintly.

            "Something went BOOM didn't it?!"

            He swung the door open, the door breaking the wall from the force he put in it, and bounded over to them, springing and grabbing onto Wonder Woman from behind, who had been trying to stand up.  She frowned and crossed her arms.

            "What do you want, Robin?" she asked.

            "May I grope you, Princess?"

            "Ugh, no?"

            Green Lantern decided it best to merely created a large hand with his ring and pluck Robin from Wonder Woman's back and hold him.  Needless to say, Robin reacted by glowing moreso and struggling hard.  Superboy watched to make sure that Robin was secure, and then turned to Batman once more.

            "Define 'perky' to your feelings right now, would you please, sir?" he asked.

            Batman looked one way.  Batman looked another way.  Batman looked at the group.  Batman then smiled a frighteningly warm smile.  Robin nearly fainted, Wonder Girl gasped in horror, and the rest just stared.  What else could they do but stare?  Batman… Mr. I-don't-know-what-human-emotion-is-because-I'm-too-busy-enacting-every-personality-disorder-in-the-world-and-then-some… he doesn't SMILE.

            But there he was, grinning rather welcomingly.  All they had to do was give him a fuzzy little white bunny and call him the next child-show phenomenon.  Big Bird, Barney, Power Rangers, Batman.

            "Holy SHIT," Wonder Girl said, staring.  "I should've become religious before this happened!!!!!!!" she screamed.  She looked skyward, hands clutched in fists as she shook them high.  "Damn you, signs of the Apocalypse!!!"

            Wonder Woman whapped her shoulder.

            "What is WRONG with you, child?!"

            "Gaaaah!  Child abuse!"

            Meanwhile, Robin just hovered in the air, hands over his mouth in utter shock of the smile—while hiding behind Flash.  Superboy was the only one not frightened, but highly concerned.  He looked between Batman, who was visibly musing over the reactions of the others.

            "Batman…  what are you thinking right now?"

            Batman looked at him.

            "I'm thinkiiiinnnnggggg…  I need to ask Wonder Woman on a date and then go buy a giraffe or a kitty.  I think a kitty would be nice.  Diana?  You want to get something to drink?"

            Wonder Woman's eyes widened.  Slowly, she backed away behind Superman.  He was still looking rather disgruntled.

            "Ooookay," Superboy said with a sigh.  "Plan C!"  When no one moved, but just stared at him, he groaned.  "Separate!"

**

THE KITCHEN

            "I think we should karaoke, Tim."

            "Are you SERIOUS, Bruce?"

            "Dead serious!  We could sing Whitney Houston."

            Robin stared at him.

            "Batman?"

            "Yes, Robin?"

            "Are you Superman or are you gay?"

            Batman looked at him, confused.  Robin sighed and sipped some of his coffee he got.  Batman looked out the window over the kitchen sink, out to the playground and beyond.

            "Would you feel better if we went boating?"

            "With…?"

            "WONDER WOMAN."

            Robin grinned.

            "Yummy.  Can we time-share 'er?"

            Batman responded by slapping him upside the head.

**

THE BALLROOM

            "Flashing people is a GOOD thing!" Wonder Girl insisted to Cissie King-Jones and Wonder Woman.  "See?!  Watch!"

            She grabbed the lower part of her shirt, but Cissie recoiled in fear, which stopped Wonder Girl in her tracks.

            "DON'T DO THAT!" Cissie pleaded.

            "Oh stop," Wonder Girl sneered, "you're a lesbian and you know it."

            Wonder Woman sighed and shook her head.  She leaned her chin on the palm of her hand, and her elbow on her knee, looking to the side.

            "Can't you two just GROW UP?"

            "I'm trying to, but she's stunting my growth!" Cissie said.

            "I dun wanna grow up," Wonder Girl sang, "I'm a Toys'R'Us kid…"

            Wonder Woman sighed a bit and looked to Cissie.

            "Do you know where Cadmus is at?"

            Cissie thought a moment, absently twirling her hair.  Meanwhile, Wonder Girl continued to sing:

            "…a million toys…"

            "I think you'll have to go to Hawaii… I THINK…"

            "Then I'll have to go hunting, because I don't want to confront Superboy."

            "…that I can play with!"

            "That's probably wise, even though he's the more normal of the three."

            "That's what frightens me."

            "I dun wanna grow up…"

            "When're you going to leave?"

            "Right after I can discuss with Superman and Batman."

            "I'mma Toys'R'Us—"

            "*SHUTUP!*"

**

A BEDROOM… somewhere… within…

            "Can I be honest with you, Clark?"

            A grunt.

            "… I'm no good at this leader thing."

            "…"

            "Robin is.  At one time I thought it was just maturity that made him a good leader, that he was no smarter than the rest of us."

            By this time, Superman, who was standing by a window, was looking at Superboy as he was verbalizing his epiphany.

            "But he is, you know that?  I haven't thought up one good plan this entire time.  I mean, I'm trying, because Robin's not competent enough to do it.  Wonder Girl isn't, and normally when Robin can't be leader, she can!  …I'm not really smart enough to be leader, I don't think.  Not now."

            Superman watched him a long moment, emotion lacking on his face.  Superboy just stared back at him with knowing baby blues he called his eyes.  He studied Superman's face, and it began to literally creep him out.  The normally soft and caring face that Superman would show he was listening and understanding with was now replaced with a stone-still face and eyes that seemed to be looking not AT Kon-El, but through him.

            After a moment, Superman looked away.

            "He has more experience."

            That's all he said.  Superboy sat, eyes wide as Superman went to look back out the window.

            "That's… it?  No lecture?  No… no talk of support or something?" Superboy asked, surprisingly calm.

            Superman didn't turn to look at him.

            "No."

            Superboy sighed and looked at his hands.

            "Go me."

**

THE BALLROOM

            Impulse was reeling in laughter.  Truly sorry he ran out just before the first explosion of the orb, he was finding even the spoken flashback too hilarious to handle.  He had tried so very hard to not laugh at the issues they were having, but after .05 seconds of agonizing self-control, he lost it and hit hysteria, rolling around in the chair he had took up.

            "Impulse, you're being totally uncool about this," Cissie said blandly.

            Meanwhile, Wonder Girl was running around in a bikini that she had stolen out of Cissie's bag.  Wonder Woman was hunched over near the main doors, wanting everyone to shut up.  Her head was throbbing in pain from all the stress.  While Cissie and Impulse argued about what true humor was, she felt a hand slide onto her bare shoulder.  She looked beside her to see Batman standing there.

            "Can I talk with you a moment?" he asked gently.  "Outside?"

            Wonder Woman quirked an eyebrow, and then rose to her feet.

            "Sure, Batman…  Lead the way."

            They exited, as Robin ran in.  Before Wonder Girl could react, he tackled her to the ground, behind the couch.  Flash, who had still been there (Green Lantern insisted to go "home" for himself and the Speedster, but Flash simply didn't want to miss this), watched the hidden scene.  Suddenly, he "gah"ed and ran forward, pulling Robin away.

            "Nonononono-no-no-no-NO!" he yelled.

            He threw Robin over the back of the couch, onto the couch cushions.

            "HEY!" he yelled.

            "Little Robins don't DO those sorta things with little WONDYS!" Flash protested.

            Wonder Girl flipped up to her feet and punched Flash in the shoulder.

            "Jerk!"

            "Ow!"

            "I can do whatever the fuuuu---hell I want to!"

            Flash grabbed her by the back of the neck and dragged her away.

            "Not while you're fourteen frickin' years old!"

            "I'm FIFTEEN!"

**

OUTSIDE

            "Yes, Batman?" Wonder Woman asked once Batman and she had emerged into the sunset colored playground.

            Batman turned to her slowly.

            "Diana, I was wondering if you're… available sometime within the next week?" he asked.

            Wonder Woman blinked at the question.

            "Well, my availability depends on the event in question."  Crossing her arms professionally, she continued with her ever-formal tone with him, "Why?  What's wrong?"

            "Nothing's *wrong*.  I… I was just hoping maybe… you were available to go yachting with me on Friday."

            The offer made Wonder Woman drop her arms by her side as her eyes grew wide.  Not in so much surprise, but rather awe.  Did Superman's personality really change the man THAT much?  She stood there, staring at the normally emotionless face, and saw that the faintest show of hope was in there.  Batman was a basket case.  Then again, she was friends with him.  FRIENDS.  So she said the first thing that came to mind…

            "No."

            Ouch.

**

            "Ya see.  It's called 'unprofessionalism'…" Flash said as he pretended to have drunken moves from the Pepsi he was holding.  "When you're a superhero and you do something outta the blue that's totally not expected from your character to someone who REALLY knows you… say, a colleague… that's unprofessional.  For example…  Say Nightwing started ragging on me for SOME stupid reason—which, by the way, he has and does but we love him for it—and I decide enough is enough and I punch him out…  Then *I* would be considered unprofessional.  This situation?  With Robin and Batman and Wonder Woman and Superman and Wonder Girl and Superboy?  DRIPPING with unprofessionalism, it's pathetic.  Totally and utterly pathetic.  That's why I hope you are SMART enough not to get sucked into this dreadful, dreadful situation that will get you, no doubt, labeled as unprofessional."

            As he spoke the last sentence, he slung an arm around Empress and poked her cheek every word he deemed important.  Empress turned and slapped him.

            "Stop being stupid!"

            "Owww!"

            He rubbed his cheek as Impulse hopped past, Cissie at his side.

            "You REALLY sure you want me around?" he asked, grinning like an idiot.  "I might make something go explodey!"

            "YOU can handle Robin and Wonder Girl."

            "I kinda like the switch!"

            "They're too extreme, Bart."

            "Yeah, yeah, I know, but st—"

            He gasped as suddenly all the light fixtures in the room, and down the hall blew in an array of sparks and sparkling glass.  In the ballroom, down the hall, Impulse and Cissie watched as the large crystal chandelier shattered and rained down on the hardwood floor like hail.

            "What the hell was that?!" Flash yelled in the dark.

            "SORRY!" they heard Robin scream from somewhere within.  "Accident!"

            There was faint giggling that echoed through, that could be recognized as Wonder Girl's.  Flash's feet began to light in lightning.

            "Sonofa…  HebetternothavedonewhatIthinkhe—"

            He launched off and after searching the entire compound in two seconds, he found the two in the bathroom Robin had claimed as his own.

            "—did!  WHAT the hell was that all about?!"

            Robin rubbed the back of his neck.

            "It was… nothing!"

            "Is that Wonder Girl's belt?!"

            Robin looked at the belt he held in his hand.  Flash and he immediately looked to her pants, in which the top button is undone.  Robin flashed a big, toothy, innocent grin as he casually gave Wonder Girl her belt.

            "Nope!"

            "That is IT!" Flash declared with a cross wave of both his hands.  "You are BOTH in SO MUCH TROUBLE!"

**

            Superman was the first to arrive on the scene of the dining room, where Flash called for everyone.

            "What's going?" he asked, tone dark, reminiscent of the Batman once upon a time.

            Flash was holding the two by the ears.

            "Superman!!  These two were gettin' it on in the bathroom!!" he yelled, as temporarily looking as the others started to come in, and then looked back to Superman.  "They need to have the TALK!  I *swear*!!  These kids didn't take the traits of one another, these kids took the EXTREMES of one another!!"

            "How does that explain the lights?" Batman asked, walking up next to Superman.

            Robin held up his hands as they started glowing blue.

            "You think this stuff is EASY to control?!" he yelled.  "Think AGAIN, pointy!"

            Wonder Woman walked over and grabbed Wonder Girl by the back of the waistband of her pants.

            "What in Tartarus is WRONG with you, Cassandra?  Get a grip on yourself!"

            "I love young Boy Wonder butt, what can I say?" Wonder Girl asked, smiling cute.

            "Alright, lets try to head on out," Superboy said.  "I'm sure Cadmus could give us a few ans—"

            "I have a better idea!" someone said behind them.  "Why don't we try MY way this time?"

**

TO BE… *gasp*  Concluded!


	4. Finale

Author's Note:  *sniffle*  It's coming to an end!  And this was REAL fun to write too!  Thank you VERY much to all of you that responded to this story, you're the only reason I felt compelled to continue it!  I've had such a positive response, and on ff.net this has been my most successful story.

            Needless to say, I hope this final part lives up to expectations of the readers!

            Special thanks to my beta readers!

            Annnnd…  I know this one won't make much SENSE…  But, you know what?  It gives me something to DO!!  Annnd…  Well, I may write a fifth part just to tie it all together, depending on response to this part.

Legalities:  PLEASE tell me you know this already!!

Rating:  PG-13

Summary:  Why is it always the last guy to show up that solves all the issues the quickest?

Circle of Friends

Part 4:  Finale

By:  Carmen Wayne

            Things seemed to be going in circles.  No idea was the solving idea, and Batman and Superman weren't helping at all.  Robin and Wonder Girl and their over active emotions were preoccupying everyone as well.  Well, until a third… forth… fifth?  Another party entered to put them back on track.

            "So… wait a minute," the newcomer said.  "It went from _Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres _to _Akana mukav tut le Devlesa.  Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa._"

            "That's not Latin—" Cissie Jones said.

            "Or Roman!" Wonder Girl interrupted.

            The newcomer to the madness, Nightwing, looked at them and smirked.  He felt this whole situation was a little TOO funny for words, and wanted to actually bust into mad laughter, but refrained, only because he didn't want to be hurt by the lot of them.

            "VERY good," he over emphasized, getting his humor out through sarcasm.  "That's actually Romany."

            "What'sthat?!" Impulse asked, zipping around him.  "IsthatlikeRomanbecauseIthoughtthattheysaiditisn'tRomanorLatinorevenFRENCH,butFrenchwouldn'tbecoolanywaybecausethosepeoplearedirty!"

            Used to speedsters personally, Nightwing let Impulse ramble, and then just spoke like Impulse was in one place.

            "I like the French for one…  And Romany is the language of gypsies.  _Akana mukav tut le Devlesa_ means 'I now leave you to God.'  _Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa_ means 'Go with God and in good health.'"

            "That sounds like some sort of farewell," Superboy said.

            "I don't get it though," Wonder Woman said.  "First it was 'All of Gaul is divided into three parts' and then THAT?  What does it mean?"

            Robin started snickering.

            "I know which word is God!  _Devlesa_!"

            "Close, Robin," Nightwing said.  "It's actually _Devel_."  He looked to Wonder Woman.  "Sometimes when something wants to point something else out, it does something extreme for attention and then decides to rectify it.  'All of Gaul is divided into three parts' is probably the clue."

            "…Or a distraction," Superboy said softly.

            Nightwing looked at him, curious.

            "What?"

            Superboy looked at him.

            "Don't you see it?  Why wasn't Wonder Woman effected?  Because she's an in-between to Batman and Superman.  She understands and respects them both.  Batman and Superman may respect each other, but we all know there's no way in hell they could understand one another.  And then there's us.  Robin, Wonder Girl and I wouldn't be able to understand each other if we spelled everything out to one another.  But it's like… now we can almost understand how each of us feel.  And even if things go back to the way it was before, at least a little teenie-tiny part of us deep inside will remember what it was like to BE the other person, be it in personality or power."

            The group wasn't sure whether to be proud of him for that or shell-shocked.  The only one really able to react after a moment was Nightwing.  He reached over and grabbed Superboy and mushed his cheeks together, AFTER getting over the shock.

            "Kid, that has got to be the SMARTEST damn thing you've ever said!"

            "It is?" Superboy asked through puffed lips.

            "Yes!  The ball wanted the three parts of the greatest team-ups in superhero history to simply understand, and now it's WILLING to let you go!"

            "Awwwww!" Wonder Girl whined.  "Can't we have at least another hour like this?!  I like being non-meta and STILL able to kick ass!"

            Robin purred at her, grinning.

            "You can kick MY ass any day, blondie."

            Wonder Girl grinned right back and him and slunk over, movements reflecting her flirtatiousness.

            "Oh yeah?"

            "Oooh yeah…"

            Wonder Woman grabbed the two and held them a part.  Being the opportunist he was trained to be originally, Robin looked over and STARED at Wonder Woman's upper torso, fascinated.  Wonder Woman took no notice, for she was looking at Nightwing.

            "Nightwing?" she asked.

            "Yes, Diana?" he asked.

            "How long do you think we have to put up with this?"

            "I don't have a clue," Nightwing said, watching Superman smack Robin upside the head for staring at Wonder Woman's chest.

            "All I know is," Superboy said in response to all of that, "I hope it's before Slo-Bo shows up."

            "Slo-Bo?" Batman asked from where he was standing behind Nightwing.

            Nightwing shuddered at the actual KINDNESS that rang from his voice.  'That's not my Bruce…'

            "Who's Slo-Bo?" Wonder Woman asked.

            As if on cue, the doors across the way crashed open, knocking plaster off the walls they hit, and the teenaged form of Lobo walked in, twirling a chain.

            "Okay, what fraggin' wise-ass genius put my ride outside?!" he yelled.

            "Ohohohoh!" Wonder Girl said excitedly, pointing at the chain he was carrying.  "Bondage!!"

            Slo-Bo blinked at that, then looked at Robin.

            "Was it YOU, you FRAG?!"

            "You know…" Robin said, thinking about that.  "I've been called many times in many ways something CLOSE to that, but I've never been called a 'frag'.  I think Wonder Girl and I must celebrate."

            He pulled free from Wonder Woman and slid over, licking Wonder Girl's cheek, who giggled madly and hopped around.  Robin gagged and scratched his tongue with gloved fingers.

            "Aaack—foundation!"

            Nightwing was ready to pull his own hair out.  He looked to Slo-Bo.

            "You're tough, right?"

            "I'm da toughest fraggin' bastich in the galaxy, 'wingie," he growled.

            "Wanna prove it?"

            "You CHALLENGIN' me?"

            Nightwing pointed around.

            "I want everyone sitting down and listening to me in five minutes."

            Slo-Bo looked around and grinned wide.

            "Gimme two."

**

            As promised, Slo-Bo got things in order.  Though the way unmentionable, the result ended up with Wonder Girl and Robin chained to two chairs with their backs against one another.  Slo-Bo stood nearby, grinning.

            "I'm better than you are," he said to Robin.

            "I spit on your greatness!" Robin retaliated in a German accent.

            "Children, please!" Nightwing said.  "I have ONE word for the lot of you."

            "And what's that, Nightwing?" Flash asked.

            Nightwing smiled to his old friend, feeling like he was the only one he could relate too at this point.

            "_Tachiben_."

            "Whaaat?" Wonder Girl asked.

            "_Tachiben_," Nightwing repeated.  "It's the Romany word for truth.  I think it's time that you tell your truths about what you've learned—"

            "I've learned it's about eight inches long!" Robin announced.

            Wonder Girl screamed with laughter at that.  Wonder Woman felt herself blush and cover her face.  Superman slapped him upside the head once more.  Nightwing stared at him, blinking, and then retaliated:

            "You WISH, fuzzball."

            "Balls," Robin corrected.

            Wonder Girl, in tears, laughed harder.

            "That's SOOOO wrong!!" she screamed, finding it dreadfully halarious.

            "Slo-BO!!!" Nightwing yelled.

            "I'll shut the frags up…"

            While the teenage psychopath went to handle Robin and Wonder Girl, Nightwing turned to Superman and Batman.

            "Well?  What _tachiben_ have you learned in this switch of personality?" he asked.

            Batman sighed a bit, faintly annoyed but willing to try.

            "He's a boy scout by natural demeanor."

            "TransLATION?" Cissie asked from where she sat off a bit, arms crossed.

            Batman looked at her.

            "His demeanor, his natural mood, is light by nature…  He doesn't want to hurt someone just for the sake of hurting them.  They have to do something serious to get hurt.  He's… really how he SEEMS."

            "Oh."

            Nightwing looked to Superman.

            "And YOU?"

            Superman just grunted and looked away.

            "Okay then…  When Slo-Bo's done being a drill sergeant, then we'll continue with the kids—"

            "Dun insult me, 'wingie," Slo-Bo snarled.  "I'mma fraggin' fragger that brings fraggin' hell on every fragger that comes my frag-damn WAY!  Got it?"

            Nightwing rubbed his face, noting mentally that the alien made absolutely NO sense whatsoever.

            "Yes, Fraggette."

            "WATCH it!"

**

            Robin made his chair spin in slow circles within the room he was isolated in.  Superman and Slo-Bo stood guard as Nightwing sat in a chair across from him.

            "Robin."

            "Yesssss?"

            He turned and stopped to face Nightwing, smiling.  Nightwing felt a migraine coming on.  A large migraine that could put him into a coma… with any luck.

            "Can you be SERIOUS for a moment?" he asked.

            "I can tryyyyy!"

            "Do you know who you are?"

            "Robin!"

            "Beyond Robin."

            "Timmy Drake!  Heheheh…"

            He continued to spin in his chair, and his older friend let out a sigh.  This wasn't going to work, Nightwing realized.  Not unless he could sober the kid up.  The only way he could think of was unethical yet effective.

            "Tim, do you remember your mother?"

            Robin slowly stopped spinning and came to look at Nightwing, his face almost reflecting an "Et tu, Nightwing?" look, like Nightwing betrayed him in some form or fashion.

            "Of course I remember her," Robin said, voice almost reflecting his normal self.  "Why do you ask?"

            "What do you think she'd say about how you're behaving?" Nightwing asked, breathing an internal sigh of relief that he got the boy to settle down.  "Do you think she'd approve of your groping girls and cussing and being unruly like this?"

            "…she's dead…"

            "Doesn't mean she's not still watching you."

            "……"

            "Well?"

            "What do you want from me?"

            "Being in the… sort of mental state of Wonder Girl… very… loosely…  what do you think you've learned about her?"

            Robin watched him a long moment, not responding for a time.  He swiveled in the chair silently, and then did one slow spin.  Once the chair stopped so he was facing Nightwing once more.

            "She wants to have fun, I think…  Wants to act on impulses that are her, ah, 'inner self', I guess…  But people like you and my… normal self, I guess, don't let her…"  Not being his normal literate and coherent self, it was hard for him to explain.  "She has a lotta things she wants to say and do, I guess.  We should, ah, let her express herself more… that and she… wants to be respected for who she is in mind, not body, but people like… how I'm acting and… Superboy in his normal state objectifies her.  I guess she wants to have the same respect the JLA has for Wonder Woman, or that the Titans have for Troia."

            "See…?  That wasn't so hard," Nightwing said.  "Was it?"

            "I guess not."

            Meanwhile…  Slo-Bo was inched closer to Superman, whispering to him with a devious smile across his face.

            "New personality opens new doors, y'know…  Y'could frag people an' take names now…  Nobody would be callin' YOU a friggin' boy scout no more…  Screw Bats, keep the personality fer yerself."

            Superman slowly looked down to him, keeping his arms crossed over his chest.  His deep blue eyes transformed into a sizzling red; the signaling pre-light to him launching his laser vision at a target.

            "Back away before I blast your eyes out, maggot."

            Slo-Bo grinned madly.

            "Aw, hell yes!"

**

            "What're you WATCHING?!" Nightwing exclaimed.

            Wonder Girl looked at him and smiled cute.

            "Morgan Sex Project 5!"

            Nightwing looked at the television on which a crude display of true porno covered the big plasma screen.

            "Are they—?"

            "Yep."

            "What is—?"

            "Not sure.  All I know is she must have done that a TRILLION times before for it not to hurt."

            "Oh gawd?  Turn that off!"

            "Did you know typically they pay women more to be back-doored then anything?"

            "How do YOU know that?"

            "I've explored my options of future careers," she stated rather matter-of-factly, grinning all the way.

            Disgusted, Nightwing walked around and ripped the plug in the wall out and looked at her.  That was more than enough reason for him to just want to strangle the girl, in all honesty.  Such behavior he expected from males, namely Superboy, but not the normally adorable teenage girl before him.

            "Can we please talk?!"

            "About porno?"

            "No."

            "Then I don't wanna hear it."

            "Cassandra—"

            "Lalalalalalalaaaaaaa!" Wonder Girl screamed, plugging her ears.

            Nightwing turned towards the door, getting exasperated.

            "SLO-BO!!!!!!"

            Wonder Girl stopped her 'la'ing and watched him.

            "YOU could be in a porno.  Yummy."

            Nightwing blinked at that… and then grinned.

            "Yeah, I know."

            Slo-Bo hopped in, utterly enjoying the demand of his services.  Even though it didn't entail fragging anyone, it was still a pretty damn sweet deal.  Immediately knowing what to do, he grabbed Wonder Girl's arms and held them above her head.  Nightwing sat down on the coffee table in front of her.

            "You carry the personality of Kon-El, Cassie.  What do you think you've learned, in all honesty, about him?" he asked, feeling like he was an actor playing a psychiatrist in a B-movie.

            "He's a pervert!" she announced before sniffling.  "I want sex…"

            "Cassie."

            Wonder Girl sighed, insta-bored.  She decided the only way to get him off her back so she could go back to watching her porn was to satisfy him with a good answer.

            "He's LONELY.  No one understands him, so he tries ta substitute the loneliness with jokes and lotsa whoopee.  But maybe if he wasn't such an immature arse we'd listen to him more!  He's a sweet guy, but he's just *too* immature!  As fun as it is, it's annoying!"  She thought a minute, and then nodded, "Oh yeah!  And I think he REALLY wants parents!"

            Nightwing inhaled.

            "Good girl."

            He patted her face annoyingly, stood and headed away once more.  'Off to talk to Bruce…'

            Slo-Bo held Wonder Girl's arms still, watching Nightwing walk out of the room.  The minute the doors shut, Slo-Bo dropped her arms and leaned over the couch.

            "Y'know what Rob said about you?" he said with a sadistic smile.

            "Ewwwww, your breath smells like poooooop!" Wonder Girl shrieked, trying to push him away.

            Slo-Bo ignored her, tugging on one of her ponytails.

            "He said……"

**

            Robin was hopping around the room with a cordless phone.  He was dialing random numbers and making prank calls.  Cissie watched, humored.

            "You know they could star-sixty nine you…"

            "Sixty four."

            "Nine."

            "Four."

            "Ni—"

            "*ROBIN*!!!!"

            "Huh?!"

            Robin craned his neck to the doors of the room as they were thrust open by a very torked Wonder Girl.  Pig tails bouncing, fists swinging at her sides, she stalked towards him with a walk he only saw Harley Quinn use a few times.  She walked over and immediately decked Robin across the face.  Robin reacted quickly and turned his head with the punch.  He wasn't going to let her break her fist, no matter the reason.

            "Wha--?!"

            "You really think ALLLL that about me, punk?!"

            "Think what?!"

            "I'll teach you what I can REALLY do!!!!"

            "Hunh—ack!"

**

            Impulse giggled at the destruction that covered the room Robin and Wonder Girl had been fighting in.  Nightwing looked at Wonder Woman and Flash.

            "This is scary.  If Wonder Girl did all THIS with Robin's skill in a blind fury, I'd hate to see Robin get angry with them in his own clear mind…"

            Wonder Woman grinned darkly.

            "She makes a true Amazon no matter her condition."

            "My god…" Flash said, stunned.  And then he mused, "I wonder what made her mad…"

            Wonder Girl stalked in through a hole in the outer wall and looked at the three, despite the fact that her body was smoldering.

            "I. Hate. MEN!  I should just go LESBIAN!" she announced.  "Where's Cissie?!"

            She ran off, right past them, leaving them to watch her back before she disappeared.  After a moment, Flash looked at Wonder Woman and Nightwing.

            "Heheh… lesbians are sweet."

**

            Batman sat on top of the hotel HQ, alone, watching the sun as it began to rise slowly to the east.  When Nightwing slowly pulled onto the roof from the small ladder-well in the kitchen to the roof, Batman felt him and slowly turned to watch him.  Nightwing smiled a bit and slid onto the edge of the building to sit by him.

            "I see your skills haven't been effected any, Bruce…"

            "Fortunately it didn't seem to power shift Superman and I like it did the little ones.  By the way… any luck?"

            "I've gotten the truths out of Wonder Girl and Robin…  Superboy shouldn't be an issue, considering he's as clear of mind as Robin…  Superman will be a problem… But I'm hoping you won't be…"

            "Superman's a pussy," Batman blurted quietly.

            Nightwing blinked, eyes wide at that phrase.

            "What?"

            "A red, white and blue pussy…"

            Nightwing covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing, or even smiling.

            "That's not fair…"

            "And now I'm a pussy too because of his personality."

            "Heh, Bruce, that's NOT—"

            "I don't even have the need to BE Batman now.  I feel like all I do is run around… beating the crap out of people who in the end WON'T learn, won't turn their lives around…  My purpose is… redundant."

            "Now you're talking CRAZY, Bruce…"

            Batman sighed, and then looked at Nightwing at a sidewards glance.

            "Do you know how proud I am of you, Dick?" he asked.  Nightwing's appalled face made him smile a bit.  "When this thing reverses, I won't be able to tell you…  But know that I AM *very* proud of you…  There's a phrase in your language I learned a long time ago, to show you a moral that I wanted you to learn about me… but unfortunately…  I haven't really been true to it.  Though, you have for me…"

            "And what's that?" Nightwing asked softly.

            "_Kon del tut o nai sai dela tut wi o vast_," Batman whispered carefully, looking down, hoping he said the words right.

            Nightwing smiled a bit at that.

            "He who willingly gives you one finger will also give you the whole hand…"  Nightwing mused a moment and then patted Batman's shoulder.  "You've done everything a man could do for someone like me.  You gave me a home, you showed me there was a way to utilize all… the ANGER from my childhood in a constructive manner…  We do accomplish something, Bruce…  _Ov yilo isi._  It's okay.  I'm proud to have you as a father, blood or not…"

**

            "Seriously, Cissie!" Wonder Girl said as she rolled the metal orb in her hands like a basketball.

            "I am SO not going lesbian!" Cissie said, pacing.

            "We ALL know you are!  It'd be fun!  We could make lesbo-porn!"

            Cissie spun to her, annoyed out of her mind.

            "What is it with you and porno?!  I cannot WAIT for that orb to switch you—" she watched Robin sprint by in a tutu, "—back…"

            "Wooo!!"  Wonder Girl watched Robin skip and twirl around and grinned, instantly forgetting all her foolish anger towards him.  She dropped the orb onto the floor and ran for him.  "C'mon!!  Lets go fill the pool with Jell-O and cannon ball in wearing Teletubbie bikinis with rabbit ears!"

            "OKAY!"

            Cissie watched the orb thunk to the floor hard, with a slight metal spring.  She expected it to start rolling, but to her amazement it stayed in one place.  Brow furrowed, Cissie went over to pick it up.  The moment her hands got within five inches of it, it began to hum and slowly separate into slices, connected by a blue glowing rod inside.  The light brightened a bit more, and then began to palpitate as words began to softly drone out from it to her.

            "**Cissie King-Jones…**"

            Cissie blinked.  Her blue eyes looked one way, and then the other.  No one was around to see this.  No one was going to believe her.  They were going to think her crazy.  'Why me…?  Why is it ALWAYS me…?'

            "Wh…What…?" she asked aloud, apprehensive.

            "**It is time for what has been done to be undone.  Do you suppose they have learned the lesson that this should have taught?**"

            "I… I'm not sure… what… was the lesson?"

            "**Understanding.**"

            "I… think they've understood each other, yes…  But I think they understood beforehand…  I don't understand, why did you do this?"

            "**We take those who do not understand and make them.  We are culture.  We are the combination of ancient and present believes, thoughts, customs and languages.  Long ago, we brought about understanding to countries and to kingdoms.  To the most influential of men and women and races…**"

            Cissie found this oddly intriguing and slid down onto her knees by it.

            "So… why did you target Wonder Girl, Robin, Superboy, Superman and Batman?  And why not Wonder Woman?"

            "**Ever so important to the world, they are.  They create new lives and save old ones.  The Amazon Princess contains a keen sense of self and others.  She understands people she meets with the spirit of truth that runs through her veins.  You needn't even speak and she will know.  The others, however, work inefficiently for they are too competitive, or not understanding to each others methods, and therefore mistakes are made.  This way, they can.  As well as say and do things they have wished but never could.**"

            "Are… you going to reverse this?"

            "**The reversal is beginning… now.**"

**

            Superboy was standing next to Wonder Girl as she and Robin gleefully dumped, one after the other, Jell-O packet mixes into the pool outback.  He shook his head, and was about to say something, when all three began disoriented from a flash that seemed to project into their eyes, but in fact came FROM their eyes.  Robin staggered back, tutu and all, into a nearby pool-side table.  Superboy stumbled a little and held is head and Wonder Girl rubber her eyes.

            "Owie… what WAS that?" Wonder Girl asked, groaning.

            Superboy grunted in response as he slowly opened his eyes.  As they came into focus, he had his vision pointed in the direction of Wonder Girl's lower half.

            "I dunno… but…"  He swung his hand out, down, around and right onto her butt with a loud slapping sound.  "You look GOOD in those pants, Wondy!"

            Wonder Girl gasped and jerked from the butt-slap, then spun and slapped him.

            "You pervert!!"

            "Ha-ha!"

            "Guys…" Robin said as he rubbed his head.  "Grow UP…"

            Superboy smirked at that and looked at the pool.

            "OOH!  JELL-O POOL!"

**

            Slo-Bo had been continuing his work with Superman, on a mad mission to make him see things HIS way.

            "And then you could BOIL Luthor's brains with your LASER vision… heheheh… boiled brains taste GOOD.  Barbequed ones taste better, though."

            Superman winced and rubbed his eyes as Slo-Bo continued to talk and snicker.  After a moment, he reached over and covered Slo-Bo's mouth.

            "Lobo, PLEASE, stop?" he asked, his demeanor and tone of voice back to normal.

            Slo-Bo frowned, and then growled.

            "Fraggin' WUSS!!"

**

            Nightwing was enjoying the time he was spending with a much more sociable Batman.  It was the easiest time he had talking to him since he was a child.  But when Batman closed his eyes and said, in a dark mutter, "It's finished." Nightwing felt something sink inside of him.  It would be the last time he'd be able to talk to Batman like that every again.

            Batman rose to his feet and merely walked away from the roof, to the ladder well and dropped out of sight, leaving Nightwing alone without even saying goodbye.  Nightwing frowned and rubbed his arm.  _At least he could have said goodbye…_

            And that's when a thought hit him, and a slow smile spread across his face…

**

            Cissie showed the orb to Wonder Woman, now that it had shrunk down to about the size of a tennis ball.

            "…and THEN it instructed ME to go give it to some museum or something."

            "I can take it to Cassie's mother, if you'd like," Wonder Woman offered, barely heeding the fact that Batman had slid in through the shadows and Nightwing was walking calmly after him.  "I'm in the same city."

            "Nah, I've got a better place to take it," Cissie said with a smile.  "There's a new girl at my school, and her father owns a PRIVATE museum.  He's a good guy, I figure it'll be safer there than at a public one."

            "Good thoughts…"

            "Hey, Princess?" Nightwing asked.  He came to a stop by her and smiled a bit.  "A word with you a moment?"

            Wonder Woman turned to him and nodded.  Cissie immediately backed off and hurried away to make some calls.

            "Of course, Nightwing.  What is it?"

            He gently took hold of her arm and turned her to see Batman, who was standing in the shadows, gazing out a window at the pool area.  There, Robin frantically tried to filter the Jell-O out of the pool while Wonder Girl beat on Superboy and cursed him for his perverted personality.  Superboy merely took it in grins, and said something (so Batman lip-read) about her and a banana, and immediately was taken to the ground and pummeled by the little Amazon.  Batman knew if he could smile, he would.  But he was himself again and… smiling was not an option anymore.

            "See that dashing Dark Knight right there?" he asked with a grin.

            "Yes, what about Batman?" Wonder Woman asked innocently.

            "Well, he'll never admit this… but he, like, TOTALLY digs you.  SERIOUSLY.  He wants to suck some Amazon face."

            Wonder Woman stared at Nightwing a moment, and let a very faint grin pass on her lips.

            "Shut up."

            "It's so true.  He undresses you with his eyes ALL the time…"

            Wonder Woman looked at Batman again.  Part of her was rather surprised, the other part sadly admitting that she often did the same thing.  _He IS Bruce Wayne after all…_

            "Well, what am *I* supposed to do about it?" Wonder Woman asked.

            "I dunno, that's up to you.  Just thought you'd like to know!"

            He patted her back and headed away.  Wonder Woman grinned a bit, watching Batman and then turned on her heel and walked off.

****

            The next day, Cassie Sandsmark could be found sitting outside, in her home's backyard, doing homework at a lawn table.  Surely and slowly, she was getting the work done.  It was simple, but long.  Very, very, tediously long.  So long that when a voice said, "Actually… it was Washington that said that…" that she became very relieved.

            "Thanks, Robin."

            Robin sat next to her, sitting up on the table so he could face her at least partially.  He inhaled and let her finish correcting the wrongs she had written and until their eyes connected.

            "I'm sorry, Cassie…"

            "What for?"

            "For… treating you less than you are… for groping you… you know… the dumbass things."

            Cassie smirked a bit and shrugged.

            "It's okay…  It's nice to be groped every once in a while."

            Robin chuckled and shook his head.

            "Except for Superboy, right?"

            "Kon slapped my butt, I STILL have a mark there."

            "I think KON still has marks from that whuppin' you gave him."

            "Yeah, he deserved it."

            "Well, I DON'T think he deserved getting poked in the eyes."

            "Yeah he did."

            "I know… but with bananas?"

            "He suggested I poke a banana in something on MY body.  I decided to show him what it felt like!"

            "But in the EYES?"

            "Yep.  So… is this the only reason you're here?"

            "Well… that and Bart's going to see how many times he can slam into a brick wall at various speeds before he either breaks something or breaks IT.  Thought you'd like to come with us.  We're going to Wal-Mart to get popcorn, drinks, and heavy First-Aid equipment… so… wanna come?"

            "Can we put bunny ears on him?"

            "Actually, that's been discussed."  He smiled a bit, thinking about something, deciding the change of subject would be alright.  "Hey Cass?"

            "Yes, Rob?"

            "If it means anything… you're a GREAT kisser."

            Cassie grinned and blushed at that, looking away.  Once she managed to regain herself, she looked at him.

            "Thanks… but part of me wants to say you practically kissed SUPERBOY and not me, if you think about it."

            Robin sat there, staring at her as he thought about that, and then crinkled up his nose in disgust.

            "That's SO wrong."

            "Heheheh…  Wuss.  Real men kiss men."

            Robin laughed a bit like, "Yeah.  Right." Patted her head and hopped to the ground.

            "C'mon, want to see Imp turn into Impy-putty?"

            "Heh, sure… why not?  Kon gonna be there?"

            "Yeah, why?"

            "Good, because I'm going to buy bananas to traumatize his butt with."

            "I hope you don't mean that literally, Cassie."

            "Maybe I do, Robin.  Or maybe I don't… but more than likely I DO."

The…Possible End!


End file.
